McClain: How good can Texans be on offense?

Deshaun Watson accounted for 31 touchdowns in his first healthy season as the Texans’ quarterback.

Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Imagine how creative, aggressive and productive the Texans' offense can be if they solve some of their issues during the offseason program, training camp and preseason.

The 2018 season was the perfect example of what can happen when quarterback Deshaun Watson is able to start 16 games.

In Watson's second season and his first as the full-time starter, the Texans averaged 25.1 points and scored 38 offensive touchdowns — both team highs for them in O'Brien's his first five seasons.

Despite receivers Will Fuller and Keke Coutee combining to miss 19 games because of injuries and relying on an offensive line that contributed significantly to 62 sacks and 132 knockdowns, the Texans finished 15th in offense (362.6 yards), including eighth rushing (126.3) and 17th passing (236.3).

With Watson accounting for 31 touchdowns, including five rushing, the Texans overcame their 0-3 start to win nine consecutive games and finish 11-5, nipping Indianapolis by a game for the AFC South.

This season, the Texans have to figure out how to beat the Colts at NRG Stadium, where Indianapolis won two times, including an AFC wild-card game that ended the home team's season.

You may be asking what the Texans can do to avoid a collapse against a first-place schedule and keep the Colts from evicting them from the division penthouse.

Of the utmost importance is making sure Watson starts 16 games again. His health is vital to what the Texans want to accomplish.

The first objective for O'Brien, offensive coordinator Tim Kelly and offensive line coach Mike Devlin is to improve the pass protection by putting the five-best players on the field.

General manager Brian Gaine added three new tackles — veteran free agent Matt Kalil and draft choices Tytus Howard (first round) and Max Scharping (second). The return of right tackle Seantrel Henderson, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the first game of 2018, is almost like signing another free agent.

Barring injuries, there are going to be some hurt feelings in the offensive line because they've got more talent and competition as they look for ways to improve last season's disappointing performance.

Injuries affect every team, but if Fuller and Coutee manage to stay on the field and join DeAndre Hopkins as principal targets for Watson, the passing game can be prolific.

Another thing for Texans' fans to be exited about is the tight end situation. Jordan Akins and Jordan Thomas enter their second seasons. Most players make the biggest improvement between their first and second seasons, and the coaches expect the two Jordans to elevate their games now that they have a season of experience.

Insert rookie Kahale Warring and veteran free agent Darren Fells into the equation, and tight end should feature the kind of competition the coaches love.

No matter how effective the passing game is, O'Brien is going to run the ball, which should be good news for starter Lamar Miller and backup D'Onta Foreman as well as the player who earns the third spot behind them.

In O'Brien's first five seasons, the Texans ranked fifth, 15th, eighth, 14th and eighth in rushing. Last season, their average of 126.3 yards a game was the most since 2014, O'Brien's first season when they averaged 135.1.

Here's an interesting statistic about O'Brien's offensive philosophy. In his five seasons, they've ranked among the top six teams in total carries four times, including fourth in 2018 (472). The only time they didn't was 2017 when they were tied for 11th.

Last season, Watson ran 99 times for 551 yards and five touchdowns. The coaches would like for him to run fewer times to help keep him out of harm's way, but he's such an industrious runner who makes so many successful plays they don't want to stifle him. It's up to Watson to make sure he avoids hits by running out of bounds or sliding before he gets pulverized as he did last season against Dallas, resulting in a collapsed lung and a broken rib.

It seems safe to predict Watson will be even better this season — a dream for fantasy players because he's such a dual threat — but how much better depends heavily on his teammates. How much will the line improve, and can Fuller and Coutee avoid debilitating injuries like last season?

John McClain, a Waco native who graduated from Baylor in 1975, is in his 43rd year at the Houston Chronicle and his 40th covering the National Football League, including the Oilers and Texans. He worked for the Waco Tribune Herald from 1973-76, when he accepted a job with the Chronicle. to cover the original Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association.

McClain has a plaque in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio as the 2006 winner of the Dick McCann Memorial Award presented annually by the Pro Football Writers of America to a writer for his long and distinguished coverage of the NFL. He is past president of the Pro Football Writers of America.

He's a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Seniors Committee and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

In 2015, he was named as a Gridiron Legend in Texas, becoming the third member of the media behind Dave Campbell and Mickey Herskowitz.

McClain can be heard six times a week on the Texans' flagship station Sports Radio 610 in Houston. He also does weekly sports talk shows in Nashville, Knoxville, Waco, Austin and San Antonio.

McClain also has appeared in eight movies: The Rookie, The Longest Yard, Spring Breakers, Secretariat, Invincible, Cook County, The Game Plan and Make It Rain.